The Shikimic Acid Pathway

The shikimic acid pathway requires the C4 sugar erythrose-4-phosphate, and phosphoenol pyruvic acid (a derivative of pyruvic acid, locked in its enol form, see Figures 1.1 and 2.19) as starting materials. The route to aromatic compounds has more steps than those met earlier, and, not surprisingly, for a plant process, uses sugar derivatives as starting materials. A total of ten carbon atoms are required, four from erythrose, and six from two molecules of pyruvate; one of these is later lost as C02. The final product therefore is a C9 compound, so that such products are enzyme jO COOH _